Wicked Game
by cute.sadistic.chibi
Summary: Sakura was alone and dying in the middle of the night after being brutally attacked, when along came Gaara to help her out. But what he doesn't realize is the trouble he's getting himelf into for helping a Grim Reaper. RE-EDITED.
1. Introduce the Grim Reaper

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Enjoy.**

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Sakura lay sprawled out in her injured and bleeding form, too tired to carry on. The moonlight tauntingly shined down on her bodice as she tried her hardest to breathe in fresh air for the first time in many years. Her broken arms and legs were turning purple and green, an infection would soon spread. The Daemon that attacked her was blown away into tiny pieces and were scattered everywhere. But a couple of broken limbs and bleeding wounds were nothing compared to the pain she felt on her back, where one of her precious wings was torn off.

To a Grim Reaper, their wings meant everything to them. It was their flight back home, weapons in battle, and their life source. Injuring their wing was nothing compared to what would happen if they lost them. Injuring only resulted in illnesses for weeks, lose all their senses, and the inability to cloak themselves from human eyes. But, if the wing were ever to be ripped off, the Grim Reaper would have only until the next full moon to finish their Death List to re-grow it back, or die and become part of the Earth.

'_I'm going die under a cherry blossom tree, how ironic.'_ She gasped for air, and forced herself to look to her left.

One of her precious white wings was ripped apart and yards away from her, already she could see the light from it fading.

'_I only have until the next full moon to grow it back or else I'm fairy dust.'_

She looked back up into the sky and glared with hatred at the moon, it was glowing brighter than usual this night.

'_How wonderful, the only one here to witness my pain is the moon.'_

But to her utter surprise, someone happened to be nearby, trying to wipe off the Daemon scum on them self. She could tell by the scent and the vibrations on the ground that it was a male who had been watching the whole battle, most likely hiding behind the trees. He cautiously walked towards her, making her tense. She was too weak to fight anyone off, and had no energy left in her to fly away.

'_What does he want?'_ She looked up at him with her mesmerizing emerald eyes and met jade orbs staring her down ay her with. His eyes were calm; there was no emotion on his face. He didn't even seem fazed at what he saw. Mustering up all her energy, she said, "Human, what do you think you're doing? Back off."

The red haired male merely continued staring down at her and stood there casually with his hands in his black coat, "Grim Reaper, you should watch how you speak around someone who could rip the other half of your wing off."

"Ah, _touché monsieur_, but why not just kill me now and end my suffering?" Sakura watched closely as he leaned in to get a better view of her remarkable eyes. She could see clearly a red birthmark on his head, and a look into his soul, "I see, how strange. You have a violent nature and yet can't bring yourself to hurt to kill; strange indeed."

He lost himself in her eyes, unaware that she was reading his soul and pulling out information on his past, present, and future. It was after her eyes began to glow that he looked away.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

"A figment of your imagination."

"Then it should be easy to erase you from existence."

"But you can't bring yourself to do it."

"You don't know that, there's nothing here that can stop me."

"Then why haven't you finished me off yet?" Gaara stopped talking and looked down; he didn't know what to say. He couldn't bring himself to kill something as pitiful and weak as her. It was against his morals to kick something when it was already down, "Just out of curiosity, what were you doing out here in the first place?"

"I needed fresh air."

"Ah, the smell of Daemon carcass and the blood of a Grim Reaper, refreshing isn't it?"

"Is this how you act when in pain?"

"No, but I would at least like to conversant before I die. I'm normally not allowed to speak back in my realm."

"I thought Grim Reapers are given a chance to re-grow their wings back before the next full moon, if they complete their Death List in time."

Sakura was surprised, "How do you know that?"

"I don't remember, someone told me, but I can't recall who."

She tried to push herself up, only to cry out in pain. Gaara wanted to lend a hand, but something about her prevented him from moving. He stood back and watched her struggle with herself, there was something familiar about her. But Grim Reapers were souls of the dead that weren't allowed to move on. It was impossible; she couldn't be the person he was looking for.

"You are unusual, but never mind all that. Here is the problem; my _'life'_ is in your hands. You can either help me return to health and complete my Death List or end my pain and finish me off."

He turned away and looked at the pieces of meat and chunks of carcasses laying all over the place. It was hard to imagine that something like her, who looked to delicate and fragile had created such a mess.

"If I spare you your life, what will you do for me in return?"

"Oh so you're that kind of human, well I'm not a genie so I can't grant you and wishes. But I do have supernatural abilities, they mainly deal with time and space, but it can be useful."

"How so?"

"I can show you your entire history on Earth, I can travel through space to other locations or realms, I can help you find things that are lost, use your imagination. But of course none of that is possible at the moment as you can see for yourself."

Gaara pondered for a minute, if he could help nurse her back to health then maybe she could use her powers to help him in his search. The only problem was if she doubled crossed him, he had trust issues and was not about to put all of his hopes in the hands of a Grim Reaper.

"I know what you're thinking, and trust me Grim Reapers are not like that. You wouldn't believe how honest we are. Once we make a pact, we never break it. I pinky promise, cross my heart, and hope to die."

He thought about it for a minute, looking at her again. It wouldn't hurt him in the long run if he did use her, "We have an accord then."

Sakura smiled, "That's great, I knew I could on you. So, you want to help me up?"

Gaara was a little reluctant to touch her; she was covered in her blood and the Daemons. It reeked of rotting flesh, but the smell didn't seem to faze her. On top of that, he was afraid he might worsen her injuries by carrying her, making the process of healing take even longer.

"How do I do that without hurting you even more?"

She perked her lips together before saying, "Give me a piggy back ride!"

He was taken back, she sounded like an overly excited three year old. But with no other choice, he bent down and gently lifted her up onto his back. She bit her lower lip to hold back her groans of pain, every cut and bruise stung like someone rubbed salt into them. Her remaining wing folded into itself to not get in the way.

"You're heavy for a dead girl."

"You should never say that to a female, especially Grim Reapers. They'll cut open your stomach and stuff animal fat into you, then sew your stomach back up."

"Overly sensitive,"

"We're girls," She rolled her eyes, "Males."

Gaara started walking away from the battle scene and into a more clear area, where the smell didn't burn his eyes. He found a path that led him out of the woods and into the central park. All around them, cherry blossom trees swayed against the gentle wind, creating a scene only found in story books. Sakura grabbed a petal and placed on top of Gaara's head. She took a peek behind her and saw her other wing turn into petals itself before being swept away into the night sky.

"What will happen to the remains of that creature you fought?"

"Someone's going to have a tough time cleaning that up." She laughed.

"What you need me to do?"

"Well first, I need some serious medical attention. After that we're going to go finish my Death List, you now, reap some souls here and there. Then after all that's done, I help you with whatever you want."

"How am I going to help you reap souls?"

"Oh don't worry your little head; I'll take care of that. You just ready yourself for when I need you."

"Will this take long?"

Sakura counted her fingers and toes, "Yeah, long, so I guess I'll be keeping you company for a while."

He rolled his eyes and continues home.

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Ciao.


	2. A Pact

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities**

**Enjoy.**

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Gaara made sure to stay hidden in the shadows or a dark corner whenever someone came near or passed by him. If anyone caught him carrying around an injured Grim Reaper, he'd be sent to an insane asylum for the rest of his life. The scent was nauseating and making his stomach churn, Sakura however didn't mind the smell and rested her head comfortably on his shoulder.

"How much longer is it going to take to get to your living corridors?" Sakura asked for the umpteenth time.

"Even longer if you keep asking." Gaara answered bluntly with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm going to die before I even get a chance to live!"

Her whining was irritating him, even the dead seem to tick him off. It was hard to imagine putting up with this until the next full moon, which would take a whole week plus an extra day.

"So, I was wondering, why you didn't run away when you saw the daemon attack me." Sakura asked.

"I didn't know what was happening and I guess when I saw you in that weak and pathetic state you were in after that thing had ripped your wing off, I couldn't leave."

"Gee, thanks."

"When I saw you, you reminded me of a girl I used to be friend with when I was younger"

"What happened?"

"She passed away."

"I'm sorry, if it means anything; I still have friends who are alive that I can't see."

She tried to sound merry, but it didn't work. They stayed quiet for the rest of the way, to Gaara's relief. They stopped outside his house, but instead of going through the front door, he went around to the back and kicked open the backyard door.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"You really think I can walk in there and face my siblings with a bleeding girl on my back?"

"You make it sound like a bad thing."

He quietly walked around the corner of his house and sneaked past all the open windows. There were two figures moving around inside, and all the lights were on. He kept to the shadows before finding his bedroom window, unlocked it, and crept inside

"At this rate I'll die before the next full moon, can you please do this quicker?" Sakura whispered.

"Don't rush me, I'm trying to make sure no on catches us or would you rather I leave you here?"

"I'm going to devour your soul."

"That sounds better than dealing with you."

"Just keep moving."

Once inside, he set her down at his desk gently. He flicked on the light and to her amazement; the room was utterly plain and boring. Nothing colorful or exquisite stood out. The bookshelf was filled with an endless about of books; all of which looked like they could put her to sleep. There was a computer that was probably older than her and a sound system covered in dust. The only thing close to exciting was the unmade bed with the black silk blanket and pillow cases.

"I haven't seen silk in ages, can I touch it?"

Gaara gave her a weird look, "No, you're covered in filth."

She huffed in boredom and crossed her arms, "It's amazing; you're strange and boring."

"Not every human in this world cares about being luxurious."

"Why not? Even the Grim Reapers aren't this plain, we actually make our living corridors look nice and lively."

Gaara couldn't take it anymore, now that he was actually sitting right next to her; the smell was killing him. She looked like she hadn't bathed in years.

"Please go shower, you're making my room reek and it's putrid."

"How rude, fine; take me to your shower. I can't walk you know." She smiled and was lifted into his arms.

He took her to his private bathroom, and placed her on the edge of the bathtub. Sakura looked around and to her surprise, found it more enjoyable then his room. He took out a whole box of soap and shampoo and handed them over to her.

"You can use all of it if necessary."

"Are you always in such a cranky mood?"

"Especially when dealing with Grim Reapers."

She put the items down and smiled at Gaara, waiting for him to notice her as he turned on the water. He was getting extra cloths for her to where, when he saw her staring at him. There was glint in her eyes, indicating she was up to something.

"What?"

"Sit next to me for a minute please."

He cautiously took his seat as he watched her search for something in her pocket.

"Yes, found it," She smirked.

"Is that a bone?"

"Yes, an owl's rib,"

Suddenly, she cut his lip with the chipped in and stuffed in back into her pocket. Before he could say anything or move, her lips were already on top of his. She closed her eyes and started to drink his blood. He was lost in a whirlpool of pain and ecstasy as her tongue entered his mouth and played with his. Her tiny hands moved through his hair, massaging his scalp, sending shivers down his spine. He couldn't help bringing her closer to him as the kiss deepened. She pulled back a little to bite her own lip and drew blood, forcing some into his mouth.

It didn't taste like the metallic material at all; instead a sweet nectar ran down his through and into his body. A cold sensation filled his body and soon he was in desperate need of hair.

She broke the kiss and leaned back, watching Gaara fall to his knees and grabbing his throat. He began to cough violently, his eyes turned a menacing black, and all the veins in his body became visible on his body.

"What did you do?" He managed to growl at her.

"Our binding contract, just in case you decided to turn your back on me. We are now bond to each other, so if anything happens to one of use, the other will feel the consequences."

He struggled to get up and steadied himself against the bathtub, "All Grim Reapers do this?"

"This is just how I do it, normally you would just sign an actual document, but I wanted to make it more exciting. Fun wasn't it?"

"Loads," He threw the extra shirt and pants at her, then got up to leave.

"You're an awesome partner Gaara, you won't regret this." She began to strip herself of her clothing.

"Please have the modesty to wait until I leave before you undress."

"You don't even like to see girls undress? You are weird human, are all males in this realm like you?"

"No." He shook his head and left, slamming the door behind him, "She is going to be the death of me."

"Gaara!" Sakura called out from the bathroom, "You forgot to give me my towel!"

He looked down on the ground and saw the white towels by the door, laying on his tatami mats, "Get them yourself?"

"Fine, if you want me walking out there naked and wet."

He quickly grabbed the towel and threw it inside the bathroom without looking at anything, racing back to his desk and grabbing his meditation balls.

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Ciao.


	3. Enter Shukaku

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Enjoy.**

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"Strange, boring, and very handsome, very nice, and awkward qualities," Sakura smiled and poured water into her hair so the shampoo would rinse off, "I like that."

The aching pain in her leg and arm resided, but her minor wounds were still stinging. She rested her head on the edge let her broken limps float about. Gaara was forced to fetch an ice bag and cast bandages against his will, she enjoyed making him flustered. But now she was all alone, just the way she liked it.

Being in solitude always made her happy and relaxed; while hanging around others made her moody and cranky. People, Grim Reapers, or Daemons; they all annoyed her. The emotions, even the dead could feel, but not her. She was an empty shell, incapable of feeling anything. She longed to know what it was like having a companion, but that was always a dream she woke up screaming too.

"Never again." She sighed to herself and slipped more into the water.

There was a knock on the door that disturbed her thoughts. Gaara didn't wait for an answer and just came in anyways with the supplies in hand. She rose up from the water, covering all her goodies with the bubbles, and rested comfortably on the side while staring up at him. She smiled as she gave him her arm.

"I didn't think you would come back."

"Where else would I go?" He started wrapping her arm while applying paste on it to harden and avoided her gaze, "When are we going to start?"

"Tomorrow night, after I train you, do some preparations tonight. I'm still a bit weak and need some of my energy back." She smiled at him.

"What are these 'preparations' you speak of? Feed me some of your blood again?"

"No, unless you want me to. You may find what I do a bit dangerous, even deadly and barbaric. But hey, I am a Grim Reaper. Only a few of us are permitted to do it this, because what I'm going to do to you is make you powerful beyond belief."

"I'm overjoyed."

"You should be."

Gaara felt a twinge of anxiety as he moved on to her leg. If this procedure was so deadly that only a few of these Grim Reapers where allowed to do, then what was he getting himself into? Sakura could kill him anytime she wanted, but she didn't. She needed him, to live, to move, to do anything. But one thing about Grim Reapers, they were gamblers and deceivers. He had to keep an eye out for her.

"Can anyone see you right now?"

"For now, but when recover, I'll have enough energy to cloak myself. Ow, _ca fait mal._"

"I am done." He got up and left Sakura sitting in the bathtub.

"_Tu ne es pas amusant."_

"What the hell is with the French?" He asked from his room

Sakura smiled as she wrapped a towel around herself, "When I first started out as a Grim Reaper, my boss sent me to France. I fell in love with the country and decided to reside there, though I was originally born in Japan."

"In what city?"

"I don't remember. Hm, _Je ne suis pas les vetements._" Sakura sat on the edge of the bathtub while rubbing the back of her neck.

"I'm going to take a guess at that and say you don't have any cloths right now."

"_Oui Monsieur._ So get me some or else I'll sleep in the nude."

He tossed a shirt at her from his pile of unfolded cloths.

Sakura slipped the black shirt and pants on, limped over to her dirty cloths, and she dug into the pocket and pulled a little dark blue box out with a seal on it. It shook and hummed a little, a soft growl came out of it.

'_I never thought I'd have to use you, but no you'll have to take my spot for a while._' She moved over to the doorway to his room and leaned against the wall. "Gaara, do you see this?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to use this one you and you aren't going to complain."

Before Gaara could say anything, Sakura opened the jar and flung red sand at him. He was engulfed in it and ultimately consumed. The sand started rushing all around him as a sinister laugh filled the void. He tried to say something but nothing came out, only a hoarse breath that was washed away by the swirling vortex. The pain was almost unbearable as the sand started to carve even deeper into the kanji on his forehead, making it bleed. It was pain he was so used to and yet never really got over.

Sand was going down his throat as it started to scrawl under his skin. Finally after what seemed like, the sand disappeared into him and left nothing behind. His insides were blazing and his skin felt burnt.

"Really Shukaku, was that necessary?" Sakura's voice rang in his ears.

Gaara wanted tear her apart, but when he tried to speak, it wasn't his voice or his words that came out; the voice that escaped his cold lips were those of another person, or being all together.

"It's not my fault the boy is a weakling. Didn't you say this was going to be _dangerous?_"

"Maybe I should have just stolen some power from another Grim Reaper and given it to him while you rot away in that jar." Sakura moved over the edge of the bed and sat with her legs crossed and her arms folded.

"Hey, Sakura babe, don't take things so serious will ya? It's not like you like the kid right?"

Gaara watched through his eyes as Sakura fidgeted in place and she rub her arm. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as her smile faded away. He didn't understand why she suddenly became so glum; it wasn't as if Shukaku wasn't right.

"Don't you ever call me babe got that?" She snapped at him, surprising them both. She held up the jar in front of him with a menacing glare, "You are under my command and if you do anything to piss me off I will send you back without any hesitation. You will lend Gaara your power to help me finish my Death List got that?"

Gaara didn't know whether to be aroused or frightened at Sakura's cruel and cold was practically turned on. He moved over to her side and started rubbing her thigh, and giving her a lustful look. Something Gaara would vomit too if it wasn't his own body he'd be puking from.

"Come on don't be cruel, let's have some fun, for old time's sake." He nuzzled his or really Gaara's nose into the nap of her neck.

"Don't make me kill you." She smirked as he quickly backed away.

"I'm sad that you still put work over playtime."

"Please," Sakura took out a black scroll that had a silver skull for the buckle and unraveled it, "Work time is play time." She poked him on the kanji, "Bring Gaara back out now."

It was a rush of adrenaline as Gaara felt himself resurface once again from the dark. Shukaku went back to being locked away, but this time it was in a body he could control whenever he wanted. Feeling slightly queasy he flopped down onto his bed and grabbed his head. He never wanted to hear the words _Sand_ or _Grim Reaper_ ever again.

"Aw, are you alright?" Sakura asked filing her nails.

"What the hell was that?" He growled at her.

"That would be Ichibi-no-Shukaku. The one tailed raccoon. He was from the ancient sand village called Sunagakure."

"Sunagakure? That's what this city's called."

Sakura's smile only got bigger, "Oh really? This should be every interesting. Well he's going to be lending some of his power to you to help you reap for me. I have venomous energy so I won't be able to lend you any of mine." She held the scroll in one hand.

"Is that the Death List?" Gaara asked.

"Yes," she waved the demonic scroll in his face and opened it to show him how long the list was. The names were written in blood and those who had a skull next to them were already gone, "As you can see, we have a long way to go."

"You're killing me."

"Then you'd already be dead. Now, I will explain more in the morning when we're both refreshed. I'll be staying outside since the moon heals me quickly." She waved good night to him and crawled out of his window. The chill Sakura emitted left with her so now warmth was finally residing in his room again.

Gaara ran a hand through his hair and sighed in exhaustion. Finally after about a couple more minutes of staring up at his roof and a long shower. Not only just to wash away the scum that was still on him, but the events that happened all in one night. He knew that tomorrow would only bring more trouble. Strangely enough, to his utter dismay, whenever he looked into her emerald eyes, a memory that was washed away would come back and haunt his mind.

_What are these memories?_

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R&R

**Ciao.**

_ca fait mal:_** That hurt**

_Non tu ne es pas amusant: _**You're no fun**

_Je ne suis pas les vetements: _**I have no clothes**


	4. To Fly

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilites**

**Enjoy.**

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Morning came surprisingly quick the next day, with a distant rooster screeching in some far off farm. The annoying alarm clock, which sat conveniently right next to Gaaara's bed, went off at around seven a.m. He couldn't sleep at all last night thanks to Shukaku, so meditation was his last resort. He grabbed his clock and chucked it across the room.

His brain had been working over time, coming up with questions to ask Sakura. Speaking of which, he wondered how she was doing, it must have been a pretty painful night. He glanced to his side and saw the Death List sitting casually on his counter, giving off a menacing aura.

There was a loud explosion outside that slightly shook the Earth; irritated, Gaara slowly crawled out of bed and walked over to his opened window.

Thankfully it just turned out to be some of the neighbor's kids playing with firecrackers. He watched in relief as the group of children yell at each other then run off trying to kill one another. Scanning the area below and above, he tried looking for the pink haired Grim Reaper, but to no avail.

"Hey, what are you looking for?"

Her voice popped out of nowhere behind him. He spun around and came face to face with Sakura. She was wearing a black and white frilly dress with a beret on her head. Instantly recognizing that it was his cloths, his patience was running low.

"Are those my clothes? Cloths that I could still be wearing?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm a very artistic person and walking around in those boring cloths will dull me, so I made something out of it. Alright, hope you got a good night sleep because today I'm going to be teaching you on all the basics."

"Great."

"Glad to see your enthusiasm. Now go get changed, you have five minutes. We don't have any time to spare."

He glared at her, not liking the fact that someone is giving him orders, "Why did I feel as though Shukaku was going to come out whenever I fell asleep?"

Sakura grinned innocently, "I forgot to mention He's nocturnal and comes out of his hosts whenever they go to sleep."

"I lost my will, my freedom, and my sleep. What next?"

There was a knock at the door, "Gaara it's me Temari, have you studied for your College Entrance exams? They are on Sunday you know."

"Whatever." Gaara squeezed toothpaste onto his brush and started brushing his teeth.

"Don't you whatever me or I'll go in there and knock all your teeth out!" Stomping could be heard moving away from his door.

"Nice family," Sakura teased, "She'd make a fine Grim Reaper."

"Don't even think about it." Gaara finished putting on a shirt and found Sakura sitting on his bed, "What are you training me?"

"How to Fly."

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Sakura hitched a ride on Gaara's back as they walked down the streets of Sunagakure. Surprisingly, she was very light and wasn't that troubling. All was normal, except for the weird glances Gaara received for having his back hunch and walking awkwardly.

It was cloudy that day with a bit of sunlight off in the distant poking through lazy grey clouds. Sakura preferred cloudy days to sunny, the cold and the forlorn weather always reminded her of her life nowadays.

"You won't have any wings, because you're still a human. But there are other ways to fly."

Making sure no one was watching, Gaara snuck into an abandoned building Sakura pointed out and walked up the stairs all the way to the roof, where rushing winds hit them in their faces. It looked beautiful, the scenery, in the morning. The desert beyond the city stretched for miles and miles.

Sakura slid off his back and limped across the way to sit on a box. She summoned her scythe to use as a beating and walking sick. "Did you bring your gourd?"

"No-!" He rubbed to side of his head Sakura hit, never in his life had anyone ever hit him before. If she wasn't a girl and already dead; he'd kill her all over again.

"You need it! The gourd is your weapon and energy supply. Why do I always have to do everything?"

She closed her eyes for a split second then snapped her fingers. The sand gourd suddenly appeared on the back of Gaara with a belt fastened around him so that it wouldn't fall off.

"I'm not going to do that again. It wastes too much of my energy. Now that we have everything, let's get straight to business. Since the sand can bend to your every need and desire, you know for protection and what not, it can also help you fly across the city undetected. The sand is strong, durable, and deadly, so use all those to create something that can carry us both in the sky."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Just concentrate and use your imagination, I'm not going to do it for you."

Gaara closed his eyes and tried to think of something big enough for the two. Something human eyes would not notice or care about. It had to be strong and protect them both from the unseen, and fly without any problems. He still didn't know what to think about. His mind wandered into nothingness and soon random things started to pop up. First he thought about weather and how the sky was completely covered in clouds.

No one cared about those, no one even paid any attention to them. So what would it matter if there was one cloud made of sand flying across the sky? There were usually two sandstorms a month anyways. That wouldn't seem odd.

Sakura picked up a rock and chucked it into the air

Gaara's sand caught the rock and tossed it elsewhere. He opened his eyes to see that he was a good twenty feet off the ground.

Looking around, he was quite surprised he was in the air. He actually managed to do it, "This is it?"

"Well you do have to make it move around, but it looks fine." She smiled up at him and it made his heart rate beat ten times faster, "Get down here, and let's go somewhere more peaceful."

He landed softly next to her and sat down, "You're going to fly?"

"No, I have a bit of energy left that I've been saving up till now." With a swish of her scythe, and a gust of wind, they were transported into a very enchanting Koi garden.

She and Gaara leaned over the edge to gaze into the pond, where many multicolored fish were swimming about. Lily pads gently floated along, gleaming beautifully in Sakura's eyes. She radiated sorrow and pain. Gaara couldn't help but look at her.

"When you die...all memories of your past are wiped clean…not even your reflection exist."

Gaara looked into the water and saw only himself looking back.

"Our only enemy is loneliness. We desire no companion, nor love. Death is how we strive and fear is our power. With these hands of mine," She lifted her pale hands up and gazed at them, "I have slaughtered many. The life of a Grim Reaper is a cruel one. People think dying is a way to free yourself, but sometimes it can still be your prison."

He grabbed her hand and felt her soft skin as he rubbed it with his thumb. "You're dead and yet you still radiate warmth."

"I still haven't figured that out, all the others are as cold as ice."

"But you're not," He still held her hand, but turned his eyes onto something else, "I prefer that."

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Ciao.


	5. Fighting

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**hifdhgdfkhgsi - Shukaku**

_hngjfhiiuw - Gaara's Thoughts_

**Enjoy.**

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"Oh so close…not. You're dead," Sakura said while sitting under a tree, "_a mauvais_."

Gaara backed away a little as the hologram of a third class Daemon faded out. He growled in utter annoyance. How was he supposed to know that just a pinch from its tail could be lethal? Killing Daemons was not as easy as she made it sound. But Sakura was no help wither, she wouldn't even tell him how to destroy one without explaining that he needed to learn on his own. She could at least give him a hint…or a bandage for his cuts and wounds.

"I know that it's only the first day, but please, we are going reaping tonight and try not to get killed. You're going to be encountering more of these things so you need to prepare yourself."

"And what exactly are they?" He asked

"Daemons were people once, but they gave their soul to the devil for eternal life. They become mindless destroying machines that do Satan's biddings, like bring back a virgin for him to screw, or a soul for him to devour. Really, they are annoying."

"Why are they Grim Reaper's enemies?"

"Ask Satan, apparently he thinks we are a waste of energy, mainly because we aren't on his side and he wants or powers." She patted the spot next to her for him to sit down.

Reluctantly, he moved over to her and sat under the tree as well. She offered him a cup of green tea and to his surprise, he accepted it. They sat in each other's silence for a while, but there was something important he wanted to ask her and felt that now would be the best time.

"How old were you when you died?"

"I don't really remember, I believe I was twelve."

_Twelve? That was the same age she died…_

"But you know, Grim Reapers aren't allowed to remember anything about their past life before they died. Otherwise we turn into ghosts," She turned to him and smiled, "Since you've been a good boy, I'll tell you how to kill those things."

Sakura got up and pulled Gaara with her until they stood in the middle of the Zen Garden. They moved past a temple and stayed hidden from the monks, anything would burn Sakura.

"All Daemons have one thing in common besides being stupid; they have a moon tattoo. It can usually be found on their chest or some part of their bodies. The key is to stab one right through the middle," She left Gaara and moved over to a tree with a huge dark hole in it, "Now, this guy isn't exactly a Daemon, but he's close. Which means he's going to be putting up a very good fight, better use your sand wisely."

She bit her thumb, drawing out blood and did a summoning hand sign before slamming her palm against the tree. First there was no sound, just the calm and quiet. Suddenly, and ear piercing shrills of death could be heard from the tree as a swarm of black bats came screeching at Gaara.

His sand instantly shot up and grabbed as many bats there were and crushed them to oblivion. All was silent once again until black shadows burst out of the sand and came together to form something grotesque and disturbing. A thin, back creature crawled out of the tree in a slimy ball and gave a chilling scream. Finally after materializing, a blind bat hovered in the air, sniffing out for food. The mark of the Daemon rested on its left wing.

'_What the hell is that thing?'_

**That would be the king of Bats; Yami**

'_What should I do?'_

**I suggest you get into the air**

His sand once again formed into his makeshift cloud and lifted him up into the air. He saw Sakura shouting up at the Bat King and tried to hear what she said.

"Yami! Try not to kill him; he's going to be doing some reaping for me!"

"I cannot promise you that Cherry Blossom master, in a battle; all is fair in love and war." He replied, his voice very high pitched and creepy. It charged straight for Gaara.

The sand and the Bat met head on in a collision course. Each slammed into each other causing the sound of thunder to erupt. Every time the sand had a chance to crush the wing and pierce it, the bat would merely brush away and head straight for the wielder. It was getting harder and harder to just hit the thing until finally he saw an opening. Though the Bat was blind, he used supersonic to see his opponent, but there was a blind spot where the vocals couldn't reach him; the Bat never noticed. Gaara took this opportunity to strike.

He moved his sand as a distraction as he rounded up the blind spot and aimed a spike for the Heartless mark. Sakura watched attentively, knowing that no matter the outcome, Yami would never die. He was too powerful and Gaara was too weak. Though she was impressed by his progress, his ability to change and learn was superior, even better to some of the oldest Grim Reapers. But that was only by pure lucky.

Gaara had had enough; he just wanted to kill the thing already. He was tired, and he never got tired, which really angered him.

**Let your instincts take over.**

Closing his eyes, he felt the rush of powerful energy and sand rush through him as a roar of pure terror filled the air. Shukaku's took over Gaara for mere seconds, as lust for death took the form of two spears that pierced right through the wing of Yami.

Sakura watched as the Bat King wailed in pain and thrashed around wildly, before disappearing to heal his wounds. Gaara fought for control and landed ungracefully right on top of a large boulder.

"That was very good, entertaining too. I think you're ready for tonight." She walked over to him and played with his unruly hair, "I sense a powerful Daemon coming in, and it's going to be a thorn in my side, that's why I had you train with something that powerful. So you can prepare for what's to come."

"I presume then that there will be more of these Daemons every night we go reaping."Gaara asked

"Plenty, you should get some rest. But not here, the priestess is purifying the ground and I cannot touch holy water."

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Ciao


	6. First Outing

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Hfedbkjdvgbskj – Shukaku**

_Lt90478t5wtj hui - Gaara_

**Enjoy**

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They both waited patiently in the cold, on top of the roof overlooking a small house in some suburban neighborhood. The weather was constantly changing, it looked like rain would be coming but suddenly change and all was clear. However, Sakura only cared about collecting that soul and re-growing her wing. She didn't have time to enjoy the night like she once did; now she was on a tight schedule. It was getting more aggravating by the minute.

Sakura could hear the growl of Shukaku inside Gaara, knowing that with every hunt, he would get more and more restless. She just hoped Gaara could keep him under control.

"Gaara, keep Shukaku quiet or a Daemon will hear us."

"What do I do?"

"Just talk to him long enough to get him settled down."

_Will you shut up? You're bothering everyone._

**I can't help it! I get all worked up whenever we go hunting!**

Gaara drowned out Shukaku's ranting and forced his attention back to reality. He turned his head a little too where there target's house was, but instead he caught Sakura standing at the other end of the roof. She looked like a sad portrait of death and beauty, the angel who lost her wing. She was the essence of a true grim reaper.

**Beautiful isn't she?**

He shook his head, clearing away all disrupting thoughts. He was going reaping tonight and just wanted to focus on that. Sakura moved towards him and gently tapped his back.

"Time for you to go," She pointed to a small white house on top of a crowed hill, "The boy's name is Hiro and he resides in that house. All you have to do is cover your hand in sand and gently, reach into the boy's heart and pull out his soul. I'll keep watch here for Daemons."

"I hope you're grateful." Gaara got up and his sand carried him over to the house.

"You have no idea."

-----

Gaara pushed open the window with his foot and stepped into the empty, plain looking room. Only a single futon, with a body in it, lay in the corner of the room. There were no lights around the room or any sound, not even from the boy. Not even a single picture of his family adorned his walls.

He quietly walked over to the sleeping body and turned over the blanket to see a small, pale boy laying there with his eyes covered by a cloth. His breathing was harsh and ragged, fingernails long and yellow. He was bald, with purple spots on the naked skin.

_The boy has cancer._

"Hello mister, grandpa said you would be coming to see me tonight. He was right. But I know why you came. So I'm ready when you are." The boy's voice was soft, his throat was dry. It seemed to take a lot of energy out of him to just speak.

"Then this won't take every long. Your suffering shall end soon."

He summoned spiritual sand to completely surround his hand until it was glwoing a faint white. Slowly, and carefully, Gaara reached into the boy and pulled out a white cloud with a gold crown imprinted on it. Hiro's body went grey and his breathing stopped. His entire system shut down instantly. The boy's life had ended.

"Kami help me."

-----

Sakura sat on an electrical box thinking up of ways to get through her Death List in one week. There was no moon out and it was Sunday, that meant next Sunday would be a full moon. Her head was hurting just thinking about the number of names she still had to reap. It would take a miracle for her to finish in time. If only her wounds would heal quicker and didn't have to depend on some human.

_Maybe if I kill ten tonight I will be done before the end of the week…but then again I can't do much on my own right now…_

"Here is your soul." Gaara landed neatly on his feet and tossed to cloud into her face.

"Hey I said be careful!" She took the thing and looked at it for a second, "Did you know children's souls are always white until they commit a sin? It's because they are born pure and when they die it's a 99.9% chance that they'll go to heaven."

"That's riveting. Could we please leave, I have a test to study for."

Just as she was about to absorb the soul into her body, a loud shriek ripped the air apart. The two turned around and watched a large, longed haired Daemon rise up out of the ground. Its rail thin arms searched the area, groping at everything. They heard it sniffing, searching for something. Sakura already knew what it wanted and who the Daemon was, she wasn't particularly happy to see it.

"The _mother _of all problems," She placed the soul over her wrist and absorbed it like a sponge, "That's one soul down."

"Give me back my boy! I want my son!" the Daemon screamed.

"Son?"

Sakura her eyes. "It's only a mother Daemon; she preys on the souls of children. She takes and keeps them for a little before devouring the soul. Not exactly parent of the year material if you ask me. I think you can handle this."

Gaara nodded, though hating the fact that he had to kill a mother, even if it was Daemon. His sand wrapped around its legs until it couldn't move then engulfed it whole. He raised his hand so the bundle of sand lifted into the sky before he squeezed his fist, there was a sick crunching noise of bone and skin mashing together before the screams died away. The body of the Daemon dematerialized and turned into blue glitter than his sand absorbed. Suddenly, he felt a rush of energy go right through him.

"There, it's dead."

"No it's not, don't you remember what I said? You have to pierce it through the moon mark, which is on her chest, otherwise it's going to come back," Sakura backed away a little as his sand started to shift and bubble, causing a mini hurricane on the roof, "I think she molded herself into your sand, be careful."

"I…want…my…boy!" a face appeared in the sand, screaming and trying to claw its way at him.

"How am I supposed to stab her?"

"You're the one fighting now, you figure it out." Sakura stood behind a vent, a distance away of fight.

Rolling his eyes, he knew never to trust as a battle partner. _A mother…_Gaara thought about it for a second before slapping his forehead and let out a very annoyed sigh.

_So what's your brilliant plan Mr. Sand man? _

Sakura watched in curiously as Gaara cut himself and walk up to the Daemon.

_Suicide? He is as dumb as he looks_

Gaara held up is finger and tried his best not to cringe, "Mother I have a cut on my finger, can you fix it for me?" In the back, Sakura burst out laughing.

The Daemon stopped thrashing and smiled in a creepy way, "Of course my baby boy." He was gritting his teeth. It stooped down close to his level to try and kiss the wound with its razor sharp teeth.

He could see through the thick hair and moving sand that the moon mark was in the middle of her chest and close enough for him to strike. His sand shot from his gourd like a bullet and jabbed right through her. Gaara backed away and watched as the Daemon screamed out in pain and agony.

It shriveled up into a ball, and started melting, giving off a hideous odor. Sakura came up to his side and held his hand, sending jolts through his body and unwanted messages. She was holding her nose but still managed to smile at him.

"Cover your eyes, when she blasts into pieces, the light will be blinding."

He closed his eyes and heard the loud blast of an exploding body and saw the bright light through his eye lids. Sakura buried her face into his neck, nuzzling him all the while.

_Why is she doing this?_

**Who cares, you don't mind.**

_No, I don't._

Sakura lifted her face as Gaara opened his eyes. They looked at each other for a minute before a Sakura broke the silence, "We still have a long way to go, and that was only the first of our many outings."

She jumped into his arms and leaned her forehead against his cheek, "So carry me back, baby boy." Laughing all the way back.

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Ciao.


	7. To Kill a Grim Reaper

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Enjoy.**

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With each passing day, Gaara grew more and more irritated and less tolerable with Sakura. She was constantly whining and overreacting, like she had PMS. Sometimes her hot temper would get so out of control she'd end up trying to kill him or herself again. Everything seemed to bother her; from the way he was constantly brooding to how she hadn't had a manicure in days. He would be more understanding if she wasn't acting like a wild banshee. She wasn't the only one with problems.

But he knew that with each passing night, it was one step closer to the full moon and it could either mean life or death for her.

"I can't take it anymore! It's the third day and I feel like I might just die on the spot! We need to go collect more souls now!"

Gaara sat at his desk trying his best to ignore Sakura's ranting, but tuning her out was getting harder by the minute. He concentrated on trying to finish homework and study for his upcoming exams. Sakura, feeling neglected and annoyed, tossed a book at him. Hitting right in the face

"What!"

"Hello, did you hear me? I said we still have to collect some souls!"

Gaara grumbled a little then spun around in his chair, "For four days I've had to set everything aside so that I could do the reaping, while you sat back and watched. I'm tire and need some rest."

"Well you-"

"I'm not finished. If I knew working for you would be troublesome, then I would never have agreed. I have my college exams to prepare for…"

'_Where's he getting at?'_

"I understand that if you don't grow your wing back that you'll turn into a fern-"

"Hey!"

"I have a life and reaping for you isn't part of it, you are also very unappreciative."

Sakura glared at the back of his head for what seemed like hours until she finally broke the silence, "If you expect me to apologize then forget it. This is my nature. You don't know what's it's like to be dead and linger between the world of the living and the dead. I killed myself, but I've been given a chance to somewhat live again. If I lose this then…it's over."

Gaara looked down at his paper work for a minute before coming to a conclusion, "I'll risk my life for you later. Your leg and arm seem to be doing fine, you can go reap yourself."

Sakura was appalled, but hid her shock, "Fine, I'll go out on my own and do everything on my own, but if anything happens to me; you're going down with me." After that she jumped out the window and flew into the night.

-----

"I hate being crippled, I hate depending on a human, and I hate my life right now!" Sakura climbed up a tree and sat down a rickety old branch, scouting the rural area for her next target. "Well I made it to the top without sand boy, so I can sure as hell do the rest, but is this painful. Damn splinters."

She took out her Death List and ran a finger down all the way to the bottom. Ten more names remained. '_Hm, I have until Sunday and its Wednesday. If I reap enough tonight, I might finish by tomorrow._'

"Three souls are going down tonight."

Without noticing, an old man wearing a ghostly white kimono robe walked towards the tree. He had a calm expression on his face and held a gentle smile. He walked a great distance searching for her specifically. He had seen it in a dream, just like everyone else who was about to die, his name on her Death List and the Face of his Grim Reaper. He did not fear death, but rather, he embraced it. Knowing that even with his passing, some good will still come out.

He knelt down and sat on his knees without looking up, "My name is Najima Tajo, I believe my name is on your Death List, Lady Grim Reaper."

Sakura jolted, unaware of the man until now. She looked down at him, curious that he would just come up and greet her. Most of the time she went reaping, people would run away screaming or too weak to carry on.

"Yes you are, thanks for saving me the time of trying to find you."

'_Now I just need to get down somehow without breaking every bone in my body'_

"I assure you, no Daemons are with me, I have come on my own accord."

"So you know about those pests?" Sakura asked while climbing down.

"They are in practically every book about the dead." The old man closed his eyes with a smile as he waited to move on, "I just can't wait to be reunited with my wife Pookie; I know she's waiting for me."

"Well, that's very romantic- EEPP!" Sakura slipped on her own feet, broke the branch, and fell all the way down, landing on her soar back. She quickly regained her composure and brushed the dust off, making sure no one saw. Taking out her scythe and chanting a little prayer, she reared it back before swinging it forward towards the old man. A bright light lit the night sky and all was peaceful once again.

-----

Sakura jabbed the overgrown Daemon in the stomach before rounding off to slice its giant head off. She fell back against a wall exhausted and tired. Taking out her Death List, she watched one more name vanish, leaving only seven more to go. She tucked it away and sat silently for a while with only her panting disturbing the night air. Her leg was better but her arm was still useless, so reaping was going to take even longer.

"I didn't anticipate how much time and energy this was going to take," She ripped a piece of her shirt off and wrapped it around her arm, "I wish I had someone to help me."

"Like me?"

Sakura turned around and felt her heart flutter for a bit as she saw Gaara walking towards her with that usual emotionless face. He bent down and helped her up.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, idiot."

"I thought you were studying for your exams?"

"It can wait."

He walked her over to bench, setting her down on one side while he sat on the other. Neither of them said a word. All was still and silent, the quarter moon beamed down on them, waiting for something to happen. Sakura was looking at the ground and biting back the pain from her arm, she was done for the night. Gaara rubbed the bridge of his nose in an annoyed way.

"We made a pact; you can't just abandon me whenever you please." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know. I felt the effects of that pact when you lift the house, but I can't put my life on hold just to help you."

"Then you shouldn't have rescued me. I didn't mean to barge into your life, it just happened. You should learn the rules of the game before playing it."

"My mistake."

Sakura scooted closer to Gaara and skittishly laid her head on his shoulder while playing with his hand. A wave of sadness rushed over them both. She was forever tormented by her selfish death, and he with his troubled childhood. They were both messed up, and fit perfectly well together. But neither of them realized it, she was a lost cause and he was stubborn.

"Did you know, angels can't love and demons can't feel pleasure?"

"Yes."

"I see them all the time, passing through our realm and ignoring us like we're that inferior. Angels have their noses in the air and demons act so prideful. They don't know the pain Grim Reapers go through every day. We are haunted by their suicide day and night, we kill to stay alive and need our wings to thrive. Angles and Demons don't appreciate that they don't have to live like that."

Gaara watched Sakura breathe. Her voice was somewhat cracking and becoming raspy. She was going to start crying and he would have to comfort her. Not that that was any good, when it came to emotions and being sympathetic, he was hopeless. If he didn't even know how a normal girl functioned, then Sakura was out of the question.

"But I realizes something," She looked up at him, "I'm very thankful I've become a Grim Reaper."

"Why?"

She smiled at him in a chilling way, "Well unlike them, we can love and feel pleasure," She whispered in his ear, "But at a price."

"My soul?"

Sakura laughed at him like he was some ignorant child, "No; I die."

"But you're already dead."

"When a Grim Reaper dies from love, they don't turn into a piece of nature; love is trifle in my realm. We turn into nothing but skin and dust. Losing your wing isn't the only way for a Grim Reaper to die."

"Then why did you commit suicide?"

Sakura turned away from him, put kept her head on his shoulder, "Because I was unhappy with the way things were going in my life. Everything was falling apart and I needed to find my escape."

"That is a selfish thing to do."

"I know, but I was a little girl. I didn't know what else to do; there was nowhere to run or someone to help me…sometimes I regret my decision, but then sometimes I don't."

Sakura looked into his eyes and saw the emotions run through them, his face was distant. He neither smiled nor frowned. It didn't surprise her; she actually found it calming to not see anything. But she could tell he was thinking about something, probably bad memories.

"Has something terrible ever happened to you?"

"Yes."

Sakura's smiled weakly, "Once, I fell in love with a Grim Reaper who didn't love me back. But I guess it was a good thing, otherwise I'd be nothing but dust in the wind. He was in love with a human and sacrificed his life for her when she was in danger, his own way of showing affection. My heart broke and a shell of ice grew in its place."

"You aren't the only one who has lost someone."

She looked at him, "Then you understand? You know what heartache is, what it truly means to be unhappy and the loss of love."

Gaara got up and let out a heavy sigh. He looked down at her, she was crying like he thought she would, "I'll help you finish the Death List tomorrow, right now you need rest."

"_Merci, Gaara."_

-----

"_Mon amie_, so you have been here all along in the human realm." A Grim Reaper stood in the shadow of the trees with his arms crossed.

"Orochimaru, there you are." Kabuto appeared before him.

"Kabuto, what do you want?"

"The Grim Reaper Queen told you not to enter the human realm for another ten thousand years."

"Well you know; ten thousand years is a long time. Plus, my favorite toy is stuck in this realm; it is my duty as a Sanin level Grim Reaper to bring back her safely back home. But since you're here I don't want to make your mission a waste of time." Orochimaru looked back to see Sakura and Gaara walking back to his house together. He smirked and vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

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R & R thanks

Ciao


	8. Dreaming of Reality

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities**

**Enjoy**

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The sun peeked its way through the small openings of the crimson curtains and glowed behind his eyelids. He wanted to turn the sun off, shoo it away, or do something so that the light would just leave. His body was craving sleep, which unfortunately for him, was taken away by a certain pink haired nuisance. His head was throbbing, caused by his long hours of studying until the early morning.

"Hey get the hell up!" Temari stood over Gaara's bed and kicked it with her foot," School starts in an hour; I don't want you to be late again! Now get ready, I have breakfast waiting for you." She left the room.

"Is it too much to knock before entering my room?!" Gaara mumbled.

Sakura giggled and watched her partner in crime get off the bed and head for the bathroom. She was feeling like her old cheerful self again, getting everything off her chest was what she needed. A photo album lay open in her lap as she snuck out a picture she favored and stuffed it in to her shirt. This one was more special than the others, so she kept it close to her heart.

He left without saying a word, only giving her a quick glance.

'_If you were dead like me, then we'd always be together.'_

"I wish he knew as much as I do."She took out the photograph and looked at it.

Her eyes and smile dropped. Her breathe caught in her throat, even looking at it now was bringing back terrible yet happy memories. Memories she kept locked away in her shell of a heart. Her fingers traced the images on the paper, gliding it all the way down until it stopped right between the pair.

A little girl of eight, hugging a red haired boy the same age as her.

Sakura's head began to throb intensely and a tidal wave of blurred visions began to sweep through her mind. One in particular began to haunt her…

_Two twelve year olds playing in an abandoned school yard, she was swinging and humming to herself when he come up from behind and started to push her a little. Lifting her higher and higher into the sky, as if she could reach for the stars. Everything was clear and wonderful, except for the black wings that grew out of her back and swept it all away._

It all came to a blank stop, Sakura's breathing was deep and she was sweating bullets, "Damn it, not again." Something began to bother her; a cold presence was standing hovering above her, "Hello Orochimaru."

"I thought I might find you here, your scent evaporated once it hit holy ground, but there was still a little left." The Snake-like Grim Reaper stepped into the light and smirked down at her.

"Tsunade is going to kill you for being here."

"Are you that close to the Queen to say her name aloud like that?" He took several steps towards her and chuckled when she flinched.

"Get away from me or I'll kill you myself."

"I like that passion in you, so let's see you try."

-----

Gaara had finished taking his exam before everyone else as usual, leaving him with plenty of time to kill. The teachers watched the students like hawks, making sure no one was out of line. It was impossible to get away with anything or do anything for that matter without getting caught. He occupied himself by drawing weird doodles on his paper, when suddenly, a powerful pain jabbed him in the heart. He grabbed his chest while his eyes turned eerie yellow.

'_Sakura.'_

Without saying a word he got up out of his chair and went straight for the door, sending a death glare to the teacher that tried to stop him. Once outside, he summoned a large sum of sand to take him to where the pink haired Grim Reaper was.

-----

Sakura's eyelids fluttered open and her body instantly began to throb with pain. She tried to move her arms and legs, but nothing budged. Her eyes looked down to see her limps wrapped in spirit rope while being dragged away by none other than Orochimaru. He was taking her to the same Cherry Blossom tree she met Gaara under.

"You know my wing was ripped off, if you take me back now I could die." She said hoarsely.

"Well my dear you are already dead so it shouldn't matter what happens to you." He responded rather condescendingly, "I'm giving you to the Satan as a present, in exchange for internal immortality."

"You were trying to butter me up?" She struggled to get loose, but the rope only tightened more, "When I grow my wing back; I'm going to _kill_ you."

"Sakura, do you honestly believe you'll be able to finish the Death List by the full moon? You'll die by before the sun even sets, and I'll be there to watch." He stopped underneath the tree and tied her up, then proceeded to create a summoning spell.

"I always knew you couldn't be trusted." She spat out.

But just as Orochimaru was about to open his mouth, a whirl of sand whizzed up between the two with a figure in the middle. A menacing growl came from the center of the mini tornado. Orochimaru jumped back several yards and smirked.

"Stay away from her." A familiar dark voice said.

"nice of you to finally show up." Sakura smiled

She would see through widen eyes that Shukaku managed to manifest himself just a little through Gaara. The sand demon pulled his gigantic claw across his body and send sand daggers towards Orochimaru. He merely chocked his head to the side and laughed as the daggers flew past him. Purple snakes emerged from his body and flung right at Gaara/Shukaku.

"Careful they're poisonous, Sakura said, "His probation limits his attacks, so he might be easy to defeat."

"You think I don't know that?" Shukaku growled, "And if he's so easy, why are you tied up to a tree?"

Sakura's cheeks turned red, "Just shut up and kill him."

It was a battle royale, with one sending multiple sand attacks and the other sending snakes filled with venom. Sakura's eyes never left the pair and watched with utter amazements at the terror the two created. Finally, in the end; it was stale mate.

Both men were tired, injured, and desperate for the other one to die. Orochimaru panted heavily as blood seeped out of his mouth and wounds. Gaara, who was back into his human form, stayed close to the girl. They both glared at each other with rage.

Sakura finally managed to break free from her bondage and stepped in front of the two, ready to defend Gaara.

"If I were you Orochimaru I would worry more about your wounds rather than trying to sell out the other Grim Reapers. And don't worry; I've already informed the Queen, you know, Tsunade." It was her turn to smirk, she lifted up her hand and showed him her skull imprint; it was glowing red.

"I'll come back, I always will. You can't defeat me." And with that said, he clumsily disappeared in a shroud of purple smoke, coughing all the while.

Sakura turned to Gaara and shook her head, "_Merci mon amie_, but please don't ever do that again. Please don't change into Shukaku; you'll break my heart." She flung Gaara's arm over her shoulder and helped him steady himself as they walked back to his house.

-----

The second her flesh touched his, everything turned black, and he lost himself from reality. Sakura couldn't see this, but he was falling deep into a nightmare he couldn't wake up from…

It was a dark hospital room with only a small dim lit lamp next to a bed. He stood there alone and wondered what was happening. There was a body on the bed with tubes and wires coming in and out of the body. Monitors beeped while liquid feeders stood nearby along with medicine and other hospital tools. He hated hospitals, and even if it was dream, he couldn't shake the fear out of him.

He watched the person's chest move up and down, he or she was making small wheezing noises as they breathed. Every now and then their finger would twitch but other than that, the person was comatose.

'_Why am I here?'_

Gaara wanted to leave this haunting place but he saw something that made him stop in his tracts. Pink hair. His heart began to race and all the blood rushed to his head. Slowly he made his way to the body and could see from the bumps underneath the blanket that it was a female, probably close to his age. He reached out to the blanket, but hesitated. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then pulled the covers off the body.

Water turned to ice, and flames went out. The light flickered on and off, as he melted away into a deep sleep of dreams turning into nightmares.

'_Sakura, so you're not really dead…'_

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R & R thanks

**Ciao.**


	9. Sweet Pain

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Some fruit action going on, which I hate writing. Didn't even touch that part, totally skipped it.**

**Enjoy**.

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Sakura watched Gaara as he lay in bed and stared mindlessly at the ceiling. He was quieter than ever, and spoke only one word sentences. He wouldn't let her talk to him, let alone be near him. All day and night, he kept his eyes away from her and acted as if nothing had happened. Ever since his minor blackout after the fight, he was lost in his own mind. It seemed the more he knew Sakura, the more secrets began to unravel. Everything was falling apart.

"Gaara?" Sakura looked at him from behind a book she was reading.

"Not in the mood to talk." He responded.

"You're not in the mood to do anything anymore, did something happen?"

"No."

"I don't like seeing you like this," She got up and moved over to him, "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"You can leave me alone."

Sakura pouted and put her arms on her hips, "I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need help."

"Sure you don't, staring at the ceiling for two whole days qualifies as normal."

"Be quiet."

"No, I'm done being quiet. And so are you, start talking, something happened the other day and I want to know what. So spill it."

Gaara finally moved and got up into a sitting position, "Why do you keep pressing the matter? I said I didn't want to talk about it."

"Well it's obvious you should, because you're acting more depressed than usual. Even the Grim Reapers in the darker realms have more life than you," She sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Can't you please tell me?"

He shook her hand off, still refusing to look at her, "No."

"Ugh! Fine, act like a stubborn mule!" She threw her hands up and walked away, "I know I have something to do with this, so you should at least tell me!"

He looked up and studied her back, her shoulders were tense. She was clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white. Even if he wanted to tell her what was on his mind, if would only mean the end for her. This was his own form of protection, to keep her safe from herself.

"Shit, it's bleeding again." She clutched her arm and ran into the bathroom, but slipped on the floor and landed on the injured limp.

He rushed to her side and lifted her into his arms. She let out a whimper as tears started falling from her eyes. His fingers gently brushed them off her cheeks, confusion sweeping over him. He didn't know what to do anymore, his thoughts always revolved around her, but he didn't want them to. He wanted to forget and let go, pretend that she really was dead and gone for good.

She looked up at him through her misty tears and sniffled. She hated this, she hated feeling _human_. It was weak to show any emotions, her master engrained that into her head every single day. She was molded into a killing machine that showed no compassion. But when she looked up into those jade eyes, her heart felt like it was beating again, like she was alive.

"I hate…how much...I…love you."

Gaara should have expected her to say it, but that didn't stop him from being surprised, "What?"

"I feel so weak." She lowered her head and wiped the blood off her arm.

"We're all weak inside."

"But I'm a Grim Reaper, I kill people, I can't feel this way for a human being," Her eyes lifted up to his, "What if someday your name is on my list?"

"Then...I'm glad for these moments with you."

"I thought you hated me."

"Never."

He pulled her in for a chaste kiss that lasted not to long before their tongues tried to rule over each other's mouths. His hands slide along her thighs and pulled down her stockings along with her lacy under garment, which was tossed aside. Sakura blushed intensely at the sudden feeling of chill under her tiny skirt, which made Gaara only smirk and want her more. He knew how to play the cards right, and before long, her top and bra were already off. Now all that was left was to get rid of his cloths too. He left that job to Sakura.

Her tiny warm hands roamed his lower and upper torso, feeling every hard inch of him as their tongues continued to mingle. He felt rock hard and firm, with muscular features she was dying to touch. Every now and then they had to break for air, which gave her time to think about the consequences after all this was done. She brought him down to her so that it was easier to take his shirt off, along with his pants, and boxers.

Bare.

Flesh touching Flesh.

Her moan captivated him, unleashing the animalistic being inside. Sakura arched her back beautifully for him as he positioned himself to enter, but before he did anything, they looked into each other's eyes for a second. Sakura got a bit irritated, she wanted him to be inside her already since was already wet, but understood his hesitation. She smiled in reassurance.

Gaara gently entered her, letting the moment flow before going in and out and picking up speed. He rested his head on her shoulder and licked the sweat off it, making her curl her toes. He could feel her breasts rubbing up against his chest, exciting him even more. Hardly standing the wait, he took on in his mouth and nipped it, enjoying the squeals she made. He was getting even harder by the second

Sakura was reaching her climax, her breathing had become ragged and rough, she was searching for something to grab onto as she came in wave after wave. Final, he hit the spot, making her erupt into flames; she let a loud moan indicating her ultimate release.

They both melted into each other, gasping for breath from all the inter course. Sakura kissed Gaara's forehead with tenderness as they both closed their eyes and fell asleep.

-----

"Someone should water these plants," Sakura walked around in the abandoned garden behind the house under the quarter moon, "Two more days, unbelievable. This isn't fair." She bumped into a wall and fell down, "Where did this wall come from?!"

There was a rustle in distant that made her stiffen. She slowly rose and pulled out a small dagger, holding it close to her side. A hand reached out to touch her hers, she jolted, and flung the dagger at the mysterious figure. She heard a slice of flesh before the blade hit the wall. Gaara emerged from the shadows with a cut on his neck and an aggravated look.

"Sorry."

"Whatever," He took one look around the place and sighed, the last time he went into the garden; his mother was alive, five years ago, "May I join you?"

"That would be delightful."

She snaked her newly bandaged arm over his and rested her head on his shoulder. The close contact, for some reason, still made him tense and nervous. They walked around the beautiful and mysterious garden, viewing all the exotic flowers, until they come about a fountain where they stopped to rest. Sakura sat on the ground between Gaara's legs. She looked up into his troubling eyes.

"You'll be gone in two days."

"Will you be happy?"

"Hardly. But will you be?"

Sakura lifted her eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Do you want to go back being a Grim Reaper?"

"I don't understand."

"You've me how a Grim Reaper can die in two ways, but I know there's another and I know you know what it is."

"Do I?" She turned around and faced him, "And what exactly would that be?"

"Explain to me, what would happen if a Grim Reaper finds out they're still alive?"

The question took Sakura by surprise; she didn't know what to say. Her master had told her something about this once, but that was only a fabled tale teachers told to fool their students, "U-uh well, I guess they can both complete their Death List and ask permission from the Queen to live again, or…they vanish from existence."

Gaara looked up at the moon, "What if I were to tell you…you're still alive?"

The silence between them seemed like an eternity, "What if I were to tell you, you may be right?"

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R & R thanks

**Ciao.**


	10. Au Revoir

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Sakura jumped up in a sudden state of shock and utter horror. A sudden painful jab hit her in the head, as memories of her past life rushed back in. She fell to her knees and grabbed her head, letting out a shrill scream and that pierced the night sky. Her eyes were tightly shut as she tried to block the torturous feeling. As she jumped to her feet, her tiny body shook violently.

"Sakura?"

"Why did you do that?!" She backed away from Gaara and shook her head from side to side, "How did…"

"I saw your body in the hospital. You're in a coma." Gaara looked perplexed.

"Do you know what will happen to me?" She looked up at him, "You should have nev-!" Suddenly, Sakura feel to her knees and grabbed her chest.

Gaara rushed over to her side and gently laid her down onto the floor and watched helplessly as she cringed in pain and wriggle from the agony.

**The judgment has already started. Her fate is now in the hands of the Queen.**

"Oh no, not now please..." She clung onto Gaara tightly, to afraid to let go.

"Well, well what do we have here?" A slimy and evil figure slithered out of the shadows of the tree and into the moonlight, "It's a good thing I got here before you actually turned into dust, otherwise there would be no point to a council meeting." Kabuto smirked.

Gaara growled in anger and lashed his sand out at the white haired Grim Reaper with rage, grabbing into his leg. He squeezed his fist and crushed the boy's leg, the sound of crunching bones and flesh brought satisfaction to his ears. Kabuto cringed and pulled his wings out, managing to escape as he limp away, leaning against a tree. He glared at Gaara menacingly.

"Kabuto…what are you doing here?" Sakura breathe out.

"Well I was going to spare your life, but since your little boyfriend here decided to screw my leg over; I'm going to annihilate you."

Sakura sat in an awkward puppet like position and tilted her head to the right, "Tsunade sent you." A loud thump came from her chest.

"Sakura-"

She put up a hand and silenced him, "She sent you right Kabuto, to retrieve me?"

"Yes, that is correct. She knows everything; your wing situation and…recent discovery. But that doesn't matter now; the sun has set its last time for you. Come sunrise, you'll be nothing but a pile of dust." The corners of his mouth lifted up into a mocking grin.

"But that's not fair," She grabbed her chest in pain, "I only have one name left on my Death List…I didn't think anyone would find out…about me."

"You think the rulers of Death are stupid? Grim Reapers know everything, and now, you'll have to face judgment from the Queen and the council members. And just between you and me," Kabuto leaned in closer, "No one has ever passed judgment."

He pushed himself off the tree and staggered as he approached Sakura.

Sand started surrounding Kabuto in a coffin as Shukaku was begged Gaara to be let out and tear the white haired bastard apart. He couldn't lose Sakura again, even if she was stuck in between worlds, she was still here, with him. He was broken the day she left, he'd crumble into pieces if she left him again.

"Gaara, you have to let me go."

He looked down at her weak form; she was pleading him with her eyes to do something he couldn't do. He never felt so helpless, knowing what she had to go through or what he had to endure. If only he could escape with her, never have to worry about the harsh reality that consumed them both.

**Kill him! Kill him!**

"Gaara, if you care about me then let me go."

He turned away from her and crushed Kabuto into a million pieces, never letting go until tiny hands wrapped themselves around his. The sand retreated back to its master, but said body was completely gone and no evidence of its existence was left behind.

"The Queen favors me above all others, so if I present myself honorably then maybe she'll let me pass off as a ghost or a spirit," Sakura turned Gaara's face t hers, "As of now my position as a Grim Reapers has been terminated. So... don't look for me."

"If you disappear, will my memories too?"

"Only if you wish it, but you can keep them for as long as you want," Gaara rested his forehead on hers and sighed heavily. Something silver caught his eye, but Sakura covered them and whispered into his ears, "Wouldn't it be great if we could turn back time to when we were twelve again?"

He held onto her small bodice, refusing to let go. He was looking for a message that couldn't be found and a sign of hope that wasn't there. A body crawled up from the ground and grabbed her arm pulling her into the shadows. She didn't smile, no tears fell from her emerald eyes as she waved good bye for the last time. All was silent in the night.

A wolf howled, a frog croaked, and a raccoon dog growled.

**Now what?**

_I don't know_

**You're just going to leave her in with those merciless monsters?**

_What can I do? I'm not a Grim Reaper._

**No, but you have me. A Grim Reaper spirit, am I right?**

Gaara almost smiled, it was a crazy and suicidal idea. But he didn't care, life was short anyways. And when he wanted something, he could find a way to get it. Even if it meant dying for it. Because Sakura was worth it.

_Can you get me into the Grim Reaper realm?_

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**

R&R thanks

**Ciao.**


	11. The Punishment

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

Sakura staggered side to side as the heavy chains, weighing her down, clung to her petite body. She glanced up at the Queen who was ferociously defending her from the angry and bitter council members. She was ashamed and embarrassed. She let herself go, falling for a human, and in the end gained nothing but trouble. But truthfully, she regretted nothing. Now that she thought about, being a Grim Reaper wasn't all that was cracked up to be. She had her fun moments, but all she wanted to do now was rest peacefully.

_This is so troublesome._

The council members, some looking more hideous than others, all gave her the same look; of betrayal and disgust. It was then that Tsunade, the Grim Reaper Queen, banged her mallet on the table and commanded silence in the room.

"You all know why we're here today-"

"It's because of that girl!" A skeletal looking Grim Reaper screeched, pointing a bony finger at her.

Sakura merely stuck her tongue out at him, earning her a sneer in return.

"Silence in my court damn it; don't forget who's the judge," Tsunade to Sakura with a hard look, "Haruno Sakura, you have been brought forth to the court of the high council with high acts of treason. You've broken several laws in the last two days; do you claim innocence?"

Sakura was silent for a moment, listening to the hateful murmurs coming from the council men. She Tsunade straight in the eyes and smiled, "No, I accept all charges on all accounts."

The commotion in the room sky rocketed, enraging the Queen even more.

"Shut up! Christ! For a bunch of dead guys you all talk too much," Tsunade turned back to Sakura, "I cannot lower the punishment, even if you are like a daughter to me, you still broke the law. It was a severe act of breach of faith, and the fact that you had an affair with a human only makes it worse. I'm sorry Sakura, but there is nothing I can do."

"I understand completely _Madame Tsunade_." Sakura bowed her head respectfully and waited as the council men decided her fate.

-----

The process from crossing over from the Human World to the Grim Reaper Realm was a tedious one. There were many complications and somewhere along the way, problems were bound to show. But shouldn't be anything he couldn't handle, he had the powers of Shukaku of course. That was what he thought, until the actual crossing began. He had used too much of his _own _blood, then not enough, then it was too much power, and then less. The problems just kept stacking up. In the end, a very frustrated Gaara and a nonchalant Shukaku made it through.

_How long is this going to take?_

**Long, if you keep asking!**

_I've been walking for miles-_

**Oh look we're here!**

_I fucking hate you_

Gaara stopped walking, standing right in the middle of a cemetery filled with tombstones, headstones, and ghostly looking crypts. The air was thick with fog and smelt of salt. In the sky, constant grey and black clouds loomed over the domain. The red full moon seemed to glare at Gaara menacingly, pictures of bats and devils danced across its surface. There was a sign nailed to a deceased tree that read '_Welcome outlander, to the Realm of the Grim Reapers. There be monsters out there, ye be warned.'_

_So this is the Realm of the Grim Reapers…_

**A barren wasteland of death and sorrow, joyful isn't it?**

The taste of charcoal found its way into his mouth; it felt like he was breathing in sulfur. Skeletons of dead…creatures scattered the, all their heads surprisingly turned towards him. He wanted to glare back the skulls, but he had a feeling if he did; they might come back to life and kill him.

_Is this place always this gloomy?_

**Duh, we are Death Gods, this place looks this way because it reflects what we are.**

_What about that?_

**What?**

Gaara pointed to a dark yet pristine looking tower that illuminated an eerie purple glow. He had a feeling Sakura was there, from the way it was so active probably. No other presence was nearby.

**Oh that? That's the council men's judgment tower; you know where all the rules are set and court hearings are said…wanna go check it out?**

_If I can get past the guards alive._

**I bet you fifty yen you'll lose an arm before you get in there, ha.**

-----

"Excuse me!" Sakura shouted, making her wait was a bad enough punishment. She just want to get over with it already.

"What is it you insolent child?" an eyeless Death God asked her.

"I know I shouldn't be saying this, but if you're going to punish me, please do it now."

"Are you in that much of a hurry to die again?" another asked.

"It doesn't matter! There's nothing else to live for, if I knew dying was just as bad as living; then maybe I should have just stayed alive and died naturally."

"Or maybe we should send you to hell to burn for all eternity." A sneering female Death God spat out.

"Is that really necessary?" Tsunade shook her head and let out a heavy sigh, "I have the proper punishment." She got up from her high chair and looked down at Sakura, who gulped in fear. "I've only ever had to do this once in my life, and it was not easy."

The council men watched in silence.

"For your punishment Haruno Sakura,"

"Y-yes?"

"You will have to slay the one you love most in the human world."

There were slight gasps here and there but all went quiet quickly.

"W-what? Slay the…who?"

"Not only will your soul be stuck in the between worlds for all of time, but so will the one who has been slain. Neither of you will move on, neither of you will be able to see the other."

"But he didn't have anything to do with this! He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But it was his fault for getting involved. If he knew you were a Grim Reaper, then he never should have been a nosy little runt and ruined your last salvation."

Sakura shook her head and hung it low. No matter what she did, it always ended up bad. Death, what seemed to be her final escape from life, turned out to be just another chapter of misery. She thought she could leave Gaara, leave him to move on with his life. But to her dismay, she brought him down with her.

"I can't…isn't there some other way?"

"No, this is the way it has to be," Tsunade's eyes soften, "I'm sorry."

"But Gaara-!"

Just then, a loud bang from outside followed by a loud crash caught everyone's attention. The sound of footsteps rushed to the door, an intruder heading for the court room. The guards shouted commands at each other, but suddenly they started shouting and fighting ensued. The council men started to panic and tried to run for the exit. Tsunade stood her ground and looked at Sakura with a questioning look. She merely shrugged her shoulders.

Sand poured in through the key hole until a wave of it knocked open the doors, sending them flying across the room.

The council men hissed and growled in fury, "A human!"

**This doesn't look good.**

A body walked through the dust and clutter to stand directly under the interrogation light. Gaara looked at Sakura, who looked more furious than happy to see him, clench her jaw in anger. He backed off a little as his eyes shifted to Tsunade; his primal instincts taking over again.

"This human has been infused with the power of Shukaku!" A council member grolwed

Tsunade looked down at Sakura, "Is this the Gaara you speak of?"

"How do you know my name?"

Tsunade smirked and pointed at him, "Sakura, kill him now."

"What?" His eyes widened and turned to her.

Sakura gave him an apologetic look and suddenly appeared before him, "I'm sorry, Gaara."

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Ciao.


	12. Back In from Out

**I re-edited this to the best of my abilities.**

**Enjoy **

* * *

"Sakura…" Gaara couldn't move an inch. He wouldn't, not after hearing what the Grim Reaper Queen spat out.

He watched in frozen shock as the chains that bound Sakura fall off and fall to her feet. She stepped away from the clatter and slowly made her way to him, stopping inches away from his face, tears threatening to fall. She trembled and shook with rage and sadness. All was silent with only the harsh breathing from Sakura to fill in the empty void. The dust had settled, a cascade of light from the red moon glimmered down on the two unfortunate lovers.

"Gaara, I am a Grim Reaper. My job isn't to bring life; it's to take." She looked up at him again, gently bringing her hand up to his cheek, "I'm so sorry it had to come to this."

He grabbed her hand and kept it on his face. To his dismay, he could see her slowly growing paler and fading away. Her skin began to crack; glitter like particles fell from her face. But her piercing emerald eyes never looked away; she clenched her fist and let out an empty sigh.

"What's happening to you?"

"This is the second part of my punishment; death, stuck in the abyss between worlds for all eternity."

"Will I find you?"

"No."

"When I die, where will I go?" Gaara asked.

Sakura smiled and pressed her forehead on against his cheek, "I don't really know, heaven may or may not exist, but I know you'll go somewhere good…you know…I left you in the human world so you could be happy, I guess I failed at that too."

Her scythe appeared in her hands, large and menacing.

**She is going to take me out first right? I don't want to be stuck inside you for all eternity.**

Shukaku's voice died, he felt the demon disappear in a calm rush of wind.

Time stopped for the briefest moment.

No one was moving, not even the Queen. It was only Sakura and Gaara. She seemed to be looking right past him, he tried to say something but nothing came out. She mumbled something incoherent, ancient words not even the council men knew themselves. It sounded like a lullaby, a song filled with comfort and sorrow. A faint glow came out of her mouth and soon blossom petals started falling from the sky, scattering everywhere. Then she stopped speaking.

Gaara looked at Sakura, who was smiling beautifully.

"Gaara… I love you, the world seems better… now that you're here."

Then everything went black. All he could see was Sakura rushing at him with her single one wing flapping away and the heavy scythe raised into the air before striking him. Multicolored lights flashed in his vision and the sound of an angelic chorus reached his ears.

_Is this heaven?_

Then sound of beeping and murmuring voices interrupted his thoughts. Frantic footsteps moving everywhere and yet the peaceful sound of chirping birds were the most soothing and loudest. He couldn't open his eyes, they felt too heavy. So he let them stay closed, slumber began to take over.

-----

"_Have you completed your assignment?" A council man asked._

"_You're sitting in the front row, I'm sure you can see everything." Sakura._

"_Don't you talk to me like-"_

"_Hey Lucif, shut up!" Tsunade spat out. She looked at Sakura kindly, "Are you ready?"_

_Sakura looked up at Tsunade through her blurred eyes, death for a Grim Reaper was a slow and painful process. If only she had the luxury to die as quickly as a human, she wouldn't be breaking into pieces like a glass doll. Her sight then shifted over to a smirking Orochimaru, how he managed to get away with his treachery was a mystery. But there he was, obviously amused by her misfortune. The corners of her lips quirked, wiping the smile off his lips. If she was going down, so was he._

"_Before we finish the agonizing process of my termination, there is one more thing." She said sweetly._

"_Yes?"_

"_There is a militia of Daemons on their way here,"_

_The council men gasped and Tsunade's eyes widen in shock. She quickly glanced over at Orochimaru then back at Sakura._

"_How do you know?"_

_Sakura pointed at the black haired Grim Reaper, _"_He told me-"_

"_She lies!" He hissed._

"-_when he tried to kill me in the human world, he made a pact with Satan and the Daemons."__ Before she knew it, Orochimaru had his hands wrapped around her throat. But before he could do anything, Tsunade landed a kick on the side of his head, sending through a couple walls._

"_You're punishment will have to wait, right now, we need to prepare for war."_

-----

It ended all too soon.

He woke up instantly and jolted into a sitting position, sweat beads running down his face. It was all a dream, some horrible dream that seemed too real. Sakura must have played a cruel prank on him and was probably laughing at him in another room. But when noticed that this wasn't his house, this room wasn't his, he wasn't in his bed; he knew this was real, all of it.

It was a hospital and he was strapped down to a hospital bed. The beeping was the heart monitor next, wires and tubes connected him to other monitoring machines. He saw the light peeking under the window curtains, it was already day time. He didn't know when or how he made it back to the human world, but the fact that he was alive started sinking in.

There was much commotion outside of his room. He got up from bed and cracked his door open to see nurses and doctors rushing past each other and grabbing one another. They were all rushing to a room down the hall, screaming orders and causing a ruckus. Some of the other patients opened their doors as well to see what was going on.

Gaara tore the wires off of him and carefully stepped outside of his room without catching any attention. Fortunately everyone was far too busy to mind him. He slid past a couple nurses talking frantically to one another and slipped into the room everyone flustered over. He stood in the corner as he watched a couple doctors move about and work on a patient. The person in bed seemed to be having a seizure from what he could see. Their body was shaking violently and loud coughing and gagging noises came from said patient.

Blood started gushing out of the patient's mouth and soon, mysterious cuts began to form all over their body.

Just then a hint of pink hair flew into the air before coming down. His heart raced a million times over, realizing who this person was. It was nightmare; panic covered the room as everyone rushed toward the body. All he could do was stand there and watch death unfold in front of him.

Suddenly, it all stopped. A long monotone beep came from the heart monitor as a single straight green line ran across the screen. Her heart stopped, no pulse, and her body had stopped shaking.

The doctors and nurses tried to revive her, hoping to use any last resort to bring her back. But even Gaara knew it was futile, the room reeked of death.

"I'm going to be sick." Gaara quickly walked out of the room and into an empty one.

He slammed the door shut behind him and slid down onto the floor, resting his head in between his knees. It was hard to imagine the once bubbly pink haired girl after seeing that mess.

"What happens now?" He got up and walked over to the open window.

The sun was being hidden behind white and grey puffs of cotton. He remembered fondly when he was a child, he'd like to climb to the roof of his house and stare up into the sky for hours. Moments later joined by his dear pink haired friend. That was a memory he thought was long forgotten. Funny, how after everything he went through, he started to remember just now.

A pink blossom petal escaped from its confinements of a tree and flew through the open window. It gently rubbed against his cheek before settling neatly into his palm. His lips formed a weak smile as he gently rubbed the delicate petal.

_Gaara, I love you… the world seems better… now that you're here._

He heard her entrancing voice, and tried to play it over and over again until finally; he opened his eyes.

"Sakura..."

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R & R thanks

Ciao.


	13. Epilogue

**Last Chapter, I re-edited. Boo hoo, however I am happy that it is over.**

**Enjoy.**

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Seasons had changed, spring to summer to fall, and then finally winter. A year went by like the hands of a clock, this time, time didn't stop. It went by, expecting everyone else to do the same.

Gaara sat on a cold grey bench in the middle of the Cherry Blossom Park, somehow ending up in the same spot where he first met her. The wound didn't heal, but with more patience maybe he'll learn to cope with the loss. She wouldn't want him to live life feeling bad; she wanted him to be happy, to see him moving on.

He leaned back against the seat and looked up into the sky where millions of little unique snowflakes flew from like tears from the clouds. Winter was beautiful and harsh, just how he liked it. Spring was the season for rebirth, forgetting the past. He wanted to see the tree blossom beautifully; he wanted to be there when the petals turned pink.

The flower of life and death, it's time on Earth is always cut short. A rare sight to see. One could spend a whole life time searching for the perfect blossom and never regret each moment.

Gaara got up and started walking around the park, listening to the sound of the busy city life, and enjoying the distant company of children playing in the snow. The laughter of children used to annoy him, now they bring back memories. The good and the bad, no matter what, he'd always cherish them.

His feet moved on their own, and by the time they stopped, he was standing right under the tree.

"I won't forget."

Right when he turned, a large snowball hit him square in the face.

_Why do these moments always get ruined?_

The snow fell off his face as he looked for the bastard that hit him with it.

"Son of a..."

"I'm sorry!" A voice called out as the person ran up behind him.

"You will be…" Gaara turned to face the person, but stopped once he got a full view of her face. His throat suddenly became too dry, and his tongue was tangled in his mouth. Short pink hair, green eyes, and rosy lips. The girl looked so familiar. _Now way, it can't be…_

"I didn't see where I was throwing; I wasn't aiming for you seriously, just my friend over there." She pointed over to a blonde male who grinned sheepishly in response. "Did I hurt you?"

"No."

"Um, well sorry again; I'll be more careful next time."

"Hn." His brain was working; too much was happening for it to function properly. He watched the women leave and walk back to her male companion. _I'm so stupid, that's not her; she's dead. I watched it with my own eyes._ He shook off the remaining snow continued to walk home.

For a minute his hope had been up, his mind was fooling around with him. Or maybe the cold was getting to him.

If that had been her, she would have jumped onto his back and said something about how stupid he was.

_I need to get out of here._

Though somewhere deep in the pit of his empty heart, he never gave up prospect that she would come back someday, and he would see her smile again.

He stopped at the edge of the crosswalk, waiting for the light to let him go… when something heavy jumped on to his back

"Is that how you greet people? You are very strange indeed."

Quickly he unlatched her arms around his neck and spun around. His arms snaked their way around her waist and she rested her hands on his chest. From a distance, they looked like a normal, loving couple. But they were far from normal, everything that happened, happened so that this moment could occur. She smiled at him, the smile that got his heart pumping and heat to his face.

"Sakura," It felt like forever since he said her name.

She didn't miss the desperate tone in his voice. Being a head shorter than him, she stood on her tippy toes and gently planted her lips on his. It was like tasting candy for the first time, sweet and tantalizing. He deepened it, pulling her closer to him. Moments passed by, people walked around them assuming they were just another couple.

When she finally broke away for a breath of air, she put his hand against her chest. He felt something thumbing against his palm.

"Can you feel that?"

"You're alive."

"Because of you."

"I saw you die in the hospital, how did you come back?"

"Let's just say, even the dead get second chances."

Snowflakes fell from the sky and gently landed on the pair. Life and Death was still a part of their world, nothing could be taken for granted. Humans don't last, they were meant to die. But they were also meant to be reborn and start over again, making mistakes so that they learn. His was letting go too soon, hers was going too soon.

The Cherry Blossom trees swayed with joy, as a single blossom bloomed through the snow on the branch of a melting tree. Life was rebirth.

"_La petite mort donne un sens a la vie."_

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R & R thanks

Ciao


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